Augusta, GA---Coach A. L. Williams, Jr., 91, entered into rest on Wednesday, March 9, 2011 at his residence.
Funeral services will be held at 2:00 pm tomorrow Saturday, March 12, 2011 at the Crawford Avenue Baptist Church with Dr. Jerry Garrard officiating. Interment will follow at Westover Memorial Park.
Coach Williams will lie in state, at the Church on Saturday, from 1:00 pm until the time of service.
A. L. Williams was born August 5, 1919, in Emanuel County and moved to Augusta at age 3. He was the son of the late Mr. and Mrs. Arthur L. Williams Sr. of Augusta. He is pre-deceased by his brothers Fred, Marion, Harry and Wade Williams and his sisters Bessie Allen and Margaret Hitt.
He is survived by his wife of 68 years Doris McClendon Williams, daughters Carolyn Williams, Janice Williams Whiting and her husband, Dr. Raymond Whiting; his grandchildren Laura, Sarah, Grace, and Isaac Brown; his step-grandchildren Ashley, Austin and Shelagh Whiting; his great-granddaughter Mackenzie (daughter of Grace); and his nephew Dr. William Hitt and his wife Mary.
A. L. graduated from the Academy of Richmond County, Augusta Junior College, and Wake Forest University, and completed graduate school at Vanderbilt University where he worked on his doctorate.
He was drafted during a two-week semester break while transferring from Augusta Junior College to Wake Forest University. He served in the U.S. Army Air Corps during World War II and was shot down over Kiel, Germany. He was a prisoner of war for 16 months in Stalag 17B.
After the war he returned to Wake Forest to complete his college education. He joined the faculty of the Academy of Richmond County in 1948 serving as teacher, coach, Athletic Director, Assistant Principal, and Principal, retiring in 1983. His baseball teams won 7 straight years of state championships and 3 Southeastern Championships?a record never broken.
He had many honors bestowed upon him. The following list represents a selection of these honors In 2011 Williams was inducted into the Georgia Dugout Club Hall of Fame; in 2002 Williams was inducted into the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame and honored with a park named The A.L. Williams Park on Broad and Eve streets. Williams was named a Golden Deeds Recipient by the Exchange Club of Augusta and an Augusta College Outstanding Alumnus. He received the Trailblazer Award from the CSRA Classics and was selected as the Georgia High School Association All-Star Baseball Game coach in 1951, 1957 and 1969. Williams was also made a lifetime member of the Georgia High school Association. In 2000 Richmond Academy's baseball diamond was dedicated as The A.L.Williams Field.
He was a dedicated member of the Crawford Avenue Baptist Church his entire life, serving as Chairman of the Board of Deacons and Sunday School Superintendent (1960-1972) and being named a “Doer of the Word.” He was a devout Christian and lived it.
He was known for his honesty, integrity, high standards, generosity and kindness. He was a fair man who did not accept prejudice. When ARC was integrated he demanded and expected the best in all of his students and his teachers. He was a strong believer in education. He was a giving man who loved his family, his country, his hometown, his church and his beloved ARC. He was the ultimate giver. He loved his “boys” who played for him and they remained dedicated to him as his health declined.
The family will receive friends this evening Friday, March 11, 2011 from 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm at Platt’s Crawford Avenue.
Pallbearers will be “his boys”: Roy Alewine, Ray Allen, Bobby Banks, Benny Cheek, Cliff Channell, Nesbit Dasher, Jud Hickey, Bo Pounds, Tom Schneider, Preston Sizemore and Gene Tom.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorial gifts be made to the Augusta State University Foundation for the Coach A.L. Williams Baseball Scholarship Fund. Please forward checks to Helen Hendee, Augusta State University, 2500 Walton Way, Augusta, GA 30904.